Internal-combustion engine



B. F. COFFMAN.

Patented Oct. 5, 1920.

4 SHEETS-SHEET l.

B. F. coFFMAN. INTER-NAL CUMBUSTION ENGINE.

. APPLICATION FILED OCTl 13, 19H-3. 1,354,535. Patented Oct. 5, 1920.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2. 25g;

B. F. COFFMAN.

INTERNAL C OMBUSTlON ENGINE. APPLlcAUoN FILED ocr. la, |919.

Patented Oct. 5, 1920.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

B. F. CDFFMAN. Y INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLlcATloN man ocr. 1s. 1919.

Patented Oct. 5, 1920.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

Ji-ii..

im lumi UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

:BENJAMIN F. COFFMAN, F DECATUR, ILLINOIS.

INTERN ALCOMBUSTION ENGINE.

1,354,535, Specication of Letters Patent. Patented 061;, 5, 1920, Application led October 18, 1919. Serial No. 331,662.

To all 'io/wm itmag/ concern: Passing through the axis of the frame 5 is e it known that I, BENJAMIN F. COFF- t e main power shaft v7, to which is keyed MAN, a citizen ofthe United States, residing the engine fly wheel 8. The `engine cylinat Decatur, in the county of Macon and ders 9 are arranged in pairs symmetrically State of illinois, have invented certain new about the shaft, the two cylinders, one on and useful Improvements in Internal-Comeach side of the fly wheel, are supported by bustion Engines, of which the following is and between a pair of annular plates 10 and a Specification. l1, to which the cylinders are connected.

This invention relates to engines. Cross beams 12 extend between the plates It relates particularly to internal combus- 10 and 11, and sufficiently space them apart 60 tion engines, although not limited excluand serve as means for supporting the walksively to engines of t; is type, ing beam 13, one for each pair of cylinders,

n object-of the invention is to provide which are pivoted to the bracket 14 on the an improved engine which is completely cross. beam, Yas at 15. The outer ends ofthe inclosed. walking beams carry links 16, which are piv- Another object is to provide an engine oted thereto,as at 17, and which are conhaving a high torque fora given length of nected to the pistons 18, within the cylinders stroke. y 9, as at 19. An inner hub portion 20, to Another object is to provide en enginel which the plates 10 are attached, as at 21, aving a high starting torque. is provided with fiat annular plates 22, upon Another object is to provide an improved t e Outer edge of which are supported a engine of compact construction, series of gear wheels 23. These wheels mesh Other objects and advantages will appear with the inner gear 24 of the ily wheel 8, from the description and Claims, and are rotatably supported on the short In the drawings: Figure 1 is a lcentral shafts 25. A'wrist pin 26 is placed on one 75 section .through the engine. side of the aXis of the shaft 25, of the gear ig. 2 is an end elevation with the in- Wheel 23, and supports a link 27, that is closing plate removed. connected to the wrist pin by a universal ig. 3 is a transverse section taken on joint bearing 28, more clearly" shown in Fig. line 3 3 of Fig. l. 3. The link 27 is provided with arms 29 80 Fig. 4 is an enlarged section taken on line that are pivotedly connected t to the oval- 4 4 0f Flg 1. bearing sleeve 30, so that the link may have Fig. 5 is a transverse section taken. on line some f ree movement with respect to the 5 5 of Fig, 4 wrist pin 26, inthe operation o f the device.

In the embodiment ofthe invention chosen The upper end of the link 27 is connected 85 for illustration, eight cylinders of the intothe walking beam 13, as at 31, by a shackle ternal combustion engine, air cooled type, 32, which is connected to the link by a pin, are symmetrically grouped about the engine as at 33; so that the link may have some fly wheel. The cylinders are arranged in lateral movement with respect to the walkpairs with one on each side of the ily wheel, ing beam. and their pistons are connected, by suitable A cam shaft 34 finds bearing in the plate gearing, directly to the `ly wheel. The 10 and is a part of the crank 26, being consymmetrically grouped cylinders, and all of nected thereto by a part 35. The shaft 34 the working parts of the engine are inclosed carries a geared pinion 37 meshing into a in a housing which serves to protect the gear wheel 38, in a two to one relation. The engine and the attendants. y gear wheel 38 is mounted on a shaft 39.

e engine, as illustrated in the accom- This is the cani shaft, for operating the awings, comprises a substanvalves 40 and 41 of the engine. tially cylindrical supporting frame 5, hav- The cam shaft carries the cam 42 for opering a base 6, upon w ich the engine stands. ating the valve 40, and another cam 43 for 100 other,

`als

the exhaust inlet valve 41. One these valves is the intake valve and the other is the exhaust valve. Bearin on the cam 42 is a roller 44, carried in a bi urcated arm 45, that has a sliding bearing in the block 46 secured to the late 10, the upper end of which is connecte to a lever 47, as at 48; the lever is pivoted to an arm of the frame, as lat 50, and its opposite xfree end is down curved, as at 51, and bears upon the top 52 of the valve.l stem 53. A sprin 54 normally holds the valve 40 close but the cam 42 will open the valve at the pro er time against the resilient opposition o the spring 54. The or exhaust valve, of each engine is provided with a similar means, .that is to say the valve 41 is operated by the cam 43, by the pressure of the roller 55 thereon, which is secured to the bifurcated arm l56, of the rod 57. The rod is slidinly supported in the block 58 that is secure to the plate 10, and on its outer end, as at 59, is pivoted to a lever 60, which is ivoted to the arm 61, as at 62. The incurved) end 63 of the arm 60 bears upon the upper end 64 of the valve stem 65, -and the valve 41 is'norinally held closed by the sprinfg 66. The valve operating mechanism o each of the engines,

rouped around the fly wheel, answers the The intake pipe 67,

oregoing descri tion. controlled by te valve 40, leads to. the and the outlet,

proper source of fuel supply, or exhaust pipe 68, leads to a suitable remote point for discharging the burnt gases or combustion.

Now it is manifest, from the foregoing description, that when the 'shaft 39 is ro o erating o? tated by the gear wheel 38, and its co-actingv pinion 37, that the revolutions of the shaft 39 will be one-half the number of revolutions in a given" time of the main shaft 7 and therefore when the cams 42 and 43 are properly adjusted the valves 40 and 41 will be operated thereby, in proper cyclic timed relation. l

-Each cylinder is furnished with a spark plug 70, energized by wire 7 1, coming trom f a suitable source of electric supply.

Plates 7 2 are used to cover the end openings in the plates 11, and may be secured thereto by screws 73.

A cylindrical portion 7 4 may`surround the l plates 10 and 11 and be secured thereto by screws 75.

From the foregoing description the operation of the engine will be readily understood, by persons skilled in the art.

While l have herein shown a single embodiment of the invention for the purposes of disclosure, it is apparent that changes in the configuration and disposition of the parts may be made within the scope of the appended claims.

Letters what I 65 2. An engine having in combinative association, a cylinder; a piston, a shaft, a ily wheel mounted thereon, and a stationary walking beam adapted' to transmit the power of the piston directly to the rim of the ly wheel and through the wheel to the shaft upon which it is supported.

3. An engine having in combinative association, a pair of cylinders; and istons and a fl wheel between the pairs o cylinders, sai iy wheel having an internal gear on the inner surface of its rim; a pinion meshing therewith, and connections between the pinion and both pistons-whereby to rotate the iiy wheel.

4. An engine ciation a power shaft; a fly wheel, mounted thereon, and having an internal gear on each side; a pair of engines, one on each side of the y wheel; a pinion meshing with each internal gear; connection between the respective pinion to rotate the fly wheel, and a. walking beam connecting the pistons of the pair of engines andconnected to said pinions.

5. A device of the character described, having in combinative association a power shaft; a fly wheel mounted on the shaft, and having a gear part near its periphery on eachside of the wheel; a shaft bearing, on each side of the fly wheel, two annular plates secured to the respective bearings; a plurality of internal combustion engines, `located in pairs, and supported on said plates; a pinion for each engine, connected to the piston thereof and in mesh with the respective gear of the ily wheel, and a walking beam, connecting the pinions and opposite engines in pairs, and supported by the plates.

6. A device of the character described, having in combinative association a power shaft; a fly wheel mounted on the shaft; and having a gear part near its periphery; a pair of plates, s aced apart and diametrically parallel wit the fly wheel; an engine supported on said plates; a pinion in mesh with the gear ci. the ily wheel, and connected to the piston of the engine, reciprocation of the piston rotates the dy wheel through the pinion, and a cam shaft supported on said plates and rotated by the shaft upon which the pinion is supported.

7. A device of the character described,

having in combinative assowhereby the having in combinative associationa power shaft; a Hy Wheel, having a gear near its periphery on each side thereof and mounted on said shaft; a pair of parallel annular plates on each side of the Wheel; a plurality of internal combnstion engines, spaced apart around the axis of said pairs of plates and supported thereon; a pinion connected to the respective piston, of each engine, and to the gear of the fly Wheel, and a Walking 10 beam for each pair of engines, connecting the engine and pinion on one side of the ii Wheel to the engine and pinion on the other side of the fly Wheel in coperating pairs.

In testimony whereof I hereunto sub- 15 scribe my name.

BENJAMIN F. COFFMAN. 

